Anti-leishmanial effects of purified compounds from aerial parts of Baccharis uncinella C. DC. (Asteraceae)

Species of Baccharis exhibit antibiotic, antiseptic, wound-healing, and anti-protozoal properties, and have been used in the traditional medicine of South America for the treatment of several diseases. In the present work, the fractionation of EtOH extract from aerial parts of Baccharis uncinella indicated that the isolated compounds caffeic acid and pectolinaringenin showed inhibitory activity against Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and Leishmania (V.) braziliensis promastigotes, respectively. Moreover, amastigote forms of both species were highly sensible to the fraction composed by oleanolic + ursolic acids and pectolinaringenin. Caffeic acid also inhibited amastigote forms of L. (L.) amazonensis, but this effect was weak in L. (V.) braziliensis amastigotes. The treatment of infected macrophages with these compounds did not alter the levels of nitrates, indicating a direct effect of the compounds on amastigote stages. The results presented herein suggest that the active components from B. uncinella can be important to the design of new drugs against American tegumentar leishmaniases.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of derivatives from aerial parts of Baccharis uncinella

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Genetic diversity of natural populations of Anemopaegma arvense (Bignoniaceae) in the Cerrado of São Paulo State, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo comparativo dos efeitos do extrato de Ginkgo biloba L. e Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer na reprodução de ratos machos e fêmeas Wistar

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Influence of extracts of Stryphnodendron polyphyllum Mart. and Stryphnodendron obovatum Benth. on the cicatrisation of cutaneous wounds in rats

Stem bark of the two species Stryphnodendron polyphyllum Mart. and Stryphnodendron obovatum Benth., Leguminosae, was investigated for wound healing, antibacterial and antioxidant activity. These plants contain 12 and 19% tannins in their stem bark, respectively, and are widely used in traditional medicine in Brazil. The total content of phenolics of the crude extract (CE) of Stryphnodendron obovatum was 76.95 +/- 2.98% (CV = 3.87%) and of the ethyl-acetate fraction (EAF) was 89.13 +/- 0.34% (CV = 0.38%); whereas in Stryphnodendron polyphyllum the CE phenolics content was 51.62 +/- 1.53% (CV = 2.96%) and the EAF phenolics content was 59.00 +/- 1.91% (CV = 3.24%). The tannin content of CE from Stryphnodendron obovatum [36.58 +/- 0.35% (CV = 0.98%)] was about 11% higher than in CE from Stryphnodendron polyphyllum [25.43 +/- 0.96% (CV = 3.77%)]. The difference between the species was even greater in the EAF: in Stryphnodendron obovatum the EAF phenolics content was 55.01 +/- 0.36% (CV = 0.65%), whereas in Stryphnodendron polyphyllum the content was 36.16 +/- 0.42% (CV = 1.16%). The healing effect of ointments containing 2.5% crude lyophilised extract (PCE) and 2.5% ethyl-acetate lyophilised fraction (PEA) of the stem bark of Stryphnodendron polyphyllum and Stryphnodendron obovatum was studied in cutaneous wounds of Wistar((R)) rats after 4, 7 and 10 days of treatment. Epithelial cell proliferation in the area of re-epithelialisation of the wounds was evaluated by counting the metaphases blocked by vincristine sulfate. With PCE an increase in epidermal growth was observed after 4 and 7 days of treatment with Stryphnodendron polyphyllum, and after 7 and 10 days of treatment with Stryphnodendron obovatum. Wounds treated with PEA of Stryphnodendron obovatum showed increased epidermal growth only 4 days after the treatment, for Stryphnodendron polyphyllum, epidermal growth was observed after 4 and 7 days of treatment. Both the CE and the EAF fractions of Stryphnodendron polyphyllum and Stryphnodendron obovatum showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC values of 125 and 250 mu g/ml, respectively. Gram-negative bacteria tested were not inhibited by extracts and fractions at concentrations > 1000 mu g/ml. The antioxidant activity through reduction of the DPPH radical in TLC, confirmed the anti-radical properties of these extracts in both species. CE and EAF of both species showed a radical scavenging activity (RSA) and protected DPPH from discolouration, already at 0.032 mu g/ml. The extract from Stryphnodendron polyphyllum were more effective than those Stryphnodendron obovatum, although the former had a lower tannin content. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Effects and toxicity of Eugenia punicifolia extracts in streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Extracts and decoctions of Eugenia jambolana Lam., Eugenia uniflora L., and Eugenia punicifolia (Humb., Bonpl. & Kunt) DC. are used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes mellitus. Although there have been reports that Eugenia jambolana and Eugenia uniflora have antidiabetic effects, no study has yet been made on Eugenia punicifolia . We investigated the effects of aqueous, butanol, and methanol extracts of Eugenia punicifolia leaves administered by gavage to streptozotocin-diabetic rats for 26 to 29 days. Body weight, food and fluid intake, urine volume, and urinary glucose and urea were evaluated every 7 days. At the end of the experiment, we measured serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides and bilirubin, hepatic glycogen and serum marker-enzymes (alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, L-lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, alpha-amylase, and angiotensin I converting enzyme). We found that in rats treated with the aqueous extracts, food and liquid intake, urinary volume, and body weight were all reduced, while for rats treated with the methanol extract, not only were liquid intake, urinary volume and body weight reduced, but urinary glucose and urea also decreased. Rats treated with the butanol extract showed no significant alterations in any of the parameters measured. Chronic treatment with extracts had no effect on the marker enzymes nor on serum bilirubin levels. The results indicate that aqueous extracts of Eugenia punicifolia leaves produced an anorexic effect and that methanol extracts had a beneficial effect on the diabetic state by improving carbohydrate and protein metabolism without provoking hepatobiliary, microvascular, muscular, or pancreatic toxic effects.

Antidiarrhoeal effects of Mikania glomerata Spreng. (Asteraceae) leaf extract in mice

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluation of the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala D.C. in different cells of mice

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Absence of mutagenicity effects of Psidium cattleyanum Sabine (Myrtaceae) extract on peripheral blood and bone marrow cells of mice

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Lack of clastogenic/genotoxic effects of Baccharis dracunculifolia extract on Swiss mouse peripheral blood cells

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Medicinal plants popularly used in the Brazilian Tropical Atlantic Forest

A survey of medicinal plants used by rural and urban inhabitants of the three cities of the Tropical Atlantic Forest, Region of Vale do Ribeira, State of São Paulo, Brazil was performed by means of 200 interviews with medicinal plant users and extractors and, traditional healers. One hundred fourteen herbal remedies were recorded and the following information reported: Latin, vernacular and English names, plant part used, forms of preparation and application of the herbal remedies, medicinal or food uses, areas of plant collection, economic importance (when available) and other data. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Antioxidative action of methanolic extract and buthanolic fraction of Vochysia tucanorum Mart. in the gastroprotection

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Cordia verbenacea and secretion of mast cells in different animal species

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The GABAergic system contributes to the anxiolytic-like effect of essential oil from Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass)

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